Life Sucks and Then You Live On: A love story
by Jedi-lover
Summary: AU story involving Luke, Mara, Callista and OC.  It is AU which takes place after TTT and before VOTF.  It is just one of those completely AU stories that have a "what if" situation.  It started out as an angsty viggie, but my friends made me "fix it".
1. Chapter 1

_**~Coruscant~**_

Mara's eyes flew open as she frantically took in her strange surroundings. Her hand came up to her temple and she cringed at her pounding headache. She had a horrible hangover, but that didn't prevent her from remembering what happened last night. Her stomach sank at the realization of what she did. She slowly rolled over to gaze at her sleeping companion…Luke Skywalker.

Damn her impulsiveness. She wished she could blame it on the booze, but she couldn't…although she was sure the alcohol helped to lower her guard enough for him to find his way through.

She closed her eyes and recalled how it all started. She had stopped by one of her favorite taverns. She had one day on Coruscant during her current shipping run and decided to stop in for ale. She was shocked to find Luke in a corner booth obviously trying to drown away some unknown sorrow. She had never seen him so distraught and disheveled. Morbid curiosity pulled her to him. What could have possibly happened to make the usually sober Jedi Master hole himself in a dark corner and decide to get plastered?

When she slid in the booth with him he was able to muster a weak smile. The next hour consisted of him lamenting over the loss of his one true love…Callista. The former Old Republic Jedi who once swore her love for Luke left in the middle of the night, just leaving him a goodbye note. She stayed with him drinking and talking. Eventually the bar closed and they moved their party back to his apartment. From there Luke's rant went from "I love her" to "I hope she never comes back."

He was so vulnerable. She couldn't bear to see him like that. Before she knew it, she kissed him…and now she woke up naked in his bed. Frack! She totally screwed up this friendship. You don't go to friends to lovers unless you want a relationship…and she didn't want that…not now.

She slipped out of bed as quietly as possible, collected her clothing and went to the living room to dress. Skywalker was so drunk there was a chance that he wouldn't remember what happened. Hopefully he would think it was just a drunken erotic dream. She checked around to make sure she had everything before she silently left the apartment.

* * *

_**Wild Karrde**_**~~ Outer Rim: One month later.**

"There's another Hypercom communication to you from Skywalker." Talon said to his second-in-command. He sat down next to Mara in the ship galley. "He's sent you a message at least twice a week for the last month. You haven't even bothered opening them."

Mara sighed and looked away hoping Karrde would take the hint, but he didn't. "Mara, you need to talk to him. At least view the messages."

She closed her eyes in frustration. "If I read the messages will you leave me alone?"

Karrde moved out of his seat and gave her a sincere look of concern. "That's all I ask."

Mara abruptly stood and practically stalked to the communication center. She decided to start from the first message and move through to the last.

The first message was of a nervous looking Skywalker. He probably woke up that morning and immediately jumped out of bed and sent her a message. "Mara please contact me. I'll try calling you later."

The next six messages were similar with a distressed blond haired Jedi begging for Mara to respond. She noticed there was about a week gap from the seventh message until the last. She pushed the button to view his last message. Skywalker still looked troubled, but also anxious. "Mara, I was hoping to talk to you personally, but I guess this will have to do." The Jedi looked down and paused. Finally he looked back up to the camera lens. "Mara, Callie came back last week and we eloped." A faint smile graced his lips. "She came back when she realized she was pregnant with my baby." There was another pause. "I hope we can still be friends…after what happened between us."

Then the transmission went blank. Mara stared at the vacant viewing screen stone faced. She startled when Talon placed his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry Mara. Does he know?"

She looked up to her smuggler boss in shock. "Know what?" Karrde couldn't know her secret and she wasn't going to play into his bluff.

"About the baby?"

Her jaw dropped. "How did you know?"

Talon shrugged. "I got sick of the trash overflowing in the 'fresher, so I emptied it. There was a pregnancy indicator stick on the bottom of the trash basket. You're the only woman on board…so through process of elimination…"

Mara buried her head in her hands in frustration. "I just found out yesterday. I bought the kit while we were planetside." She took a shuttering breath. "He doesn't know and now he'll never know."

Karrde rubbed his hand through his beard nervously. "He's the father."

Mara turned in her seat to face him. "Karrde, he has a family now. I am not going to come out of the woodwork like a snubbed "other woman" and break up his family."

He nodded his head in understanding. "What are you going to do? Are you going to keep the baby?"

Mara glared at him. "Of course!" She rubbed her flat belly. "This baby is a part of me."

Talon smiled. "Good…you don't have to do this alone Mara. The crew is like a family and family sticks together."

* * *

**~Six Years Later: Coruscant~**

"Talon, I really don't want to go out. I don't want Skywalker or the Solo's to see Darik." Mara was holding her 5 year old son on her lap.

Talon gave her a forced smile. "Luke is usually on Yavin 4 and we are on the most populated world in the galaxy. I doubt you will run into the Solo's." He reached down and picked up the blond haired blue-eyed boy. "Darik, you want to go to the amusement park with Mommy, don't you."

The boy wrapped his arms around Talon's neck and hugged him fiercely. "I want you to go too, Daddy."

Talon dropped a light kiss on Darik's forehead. "I would love to but I have business to take care of and then we'll be gone from this planet by the end of the day." He smiled at Darik affectionately. "I promise, we'll go hiking or to the beach on the next planet."

"Okay," the little boy said disappointed.

Talon handed Mara her son. "I'll get the deal done and we'll be gone."

She sighed and nodded. "Come on Darik, lets go to the park."

* * *

Later that day, Mara and her son were walking back to the _Wild Karrde_. Darik had a stuffed animal and was finishing a sugar covered pastry. As Mara neared the ship she felt a familiar presence in the Force. She stopped, searching the docking bay. Finally she saw Skywalker leaning against the _Wild Karrde_ obviously waiting for her.

Mara shook her head in frustration. She told Karrde if Luke was on planet he would sense her. She momentarily thought about turning around and trying to avoid him, but she knew that would be impossible. He would run after her.

She squared her shoulders and walked up to him, while remotely lowering the boarding ramp of the ship. She hoped she could get Darik into the ship before Luke could get a good look at the boy.

As she neared Luke she was taken aback by the despair radiating off the Jedi. He was visibly upset and had two days growth of beard covering his face.

"Mara, I thought I sensed your presence…why have you been avoiding me all these…" Luke stopped and looked at the blond boy. Mara felt Luke's shock as he looked down at a miniature version of himself. She was sure the Jedi was verifying his suspicions through the Force. He looked up at Mara slack jawed. "Mara?"

Mara ignored the Jedi and quickly grabbed her son's hand and led him up the ramp. "Darik, go and play in your room for now."

The little boy nodded and ran down the ship corridor. She turned to Luke. "Come on in, let's talk."

She could feel Luke's anger build as he followed her up the ramp. She really couldn't blame him. He missed five years with his son.

"Mara, why didn't you tell me?"

She spun around, her green eyes glaring at him. "By the time I knew about the pregnancy you were married and with a child on the way. I wasn't going to do anything to mess up your happy little family!"

"But the boy needs his father." Luke protested.

"He has a father!" She shot back. "The only father he knows. Talon has been by my side since day one. He was with me when I delivered Darik, he helped change his diapers and stayed up with Darik when he was sick. Darik Karrde is the son of Talon and Mara Karrde! And if you ever tell my son otherwise I _will_ fulfill my Last Command."

Luke leaned against the bulkhead looking shaky on his feet. "You married Karrde?"

Mara nodded. "Yes, we married and I then gave birth on Corellia. Corellian law is very specific. The husband in the marriage is the presumed father of any child born into the marriage. Period!"

Luke turned white. "Can I sit down?"

She glared at him for a moment, but then her face softened. "Come on to the galley. I'll get you some water." They walked down to the kitchen area. Mara pulled a bottle of water out of the cooling unit and sat it on the small dining table. Mara sat down and motioned for Luke to do the same.

"Luke, let us raise our son without interference. You already have a son. Go back to your family."

She could see tears welling up in his eyes. "The boy is not my son?"

She looked at him confused. "Who?"

"Ben," Luke said referring to the child he had with Callista. "I'm on Coruscant because Ben was ill and he needed an operation for a heart defect."

"I'm sorry, Luke." Mara said sincerely.

He nodded sadly. "He's fine now, but I found out Ben's blood type was AB…I'm an O blood type. There is no possibility that the boy is my son."

Mara had seen photos of Ben Skywalker. The boy had brown hair and green eyes. She also heard the child was not Force sensitive…Luke should have figured something was up without the need of a blood test. But then she realized Callista was a blank in the Force and with Ben not being Force sensitive it would be difficult for Luke to discern a Force signature…like he did with Darik.

"Did she cheat on you?" Mara asked.

Luke shook his head. "She claims to have had a one-night-stand with some guy and got pregnant while we were separated. She honestly thought the child was mine…she says." Luke bit out the last two words.

"What are you going to do?" Mara asked.

Luke ran his hand through his hair. "I don't know. How can I raise Ben knowing he is somebody else's son?"

Mara's face turned red with anger. She was about to tear into the Jedi when she heard Darik scream "Daddy." She got up and looked around the corner in time to see Talon grab up the boy and spin him in his arms. She moved to Skywalker and pulled him over so he could see. "Do you see that? Talon is not the father, but he is raising Darik like his own. He loves this son dearly. He brings him on vacations, he helps home-school him, he's putting money away for his higher education…and Darik loves him. It's not flesh and blood but their heart which makes them father and son." She turned back to the Jedi. "You can't tell me your love for your boy evaporated when you heard the blood type results?"

Luke looked like he was going to be ill. "No, but what am I going to do? About Ben and about Darik?"

Mara's eyes narrowed. "You are not going to do a damn thing concerning Darik. You need to go home, reconcile with your wife and take care of your sick son."

"Why is this happening to me?" Luke moaned.

Mara grabbed him by the elbow and started walking him to the boarding ramp exit. "Luke, life is messy. We don't always get what we want, but we have to make the best of what we have." She left him at the bottom of the ramp then walked back to the top and activated the closing button. As the ramp slowly moved up she said. "DNA makes you a father, but taking care of and loving your family makes you a man. Go home and be a man!"

As the ship sealed with a thud, Luke realized a part of him was leaving with it. His Aunt Beru often quoted to him and old Tatooine saying-_where there is love, there is pain._ Nothing was truer in his life.

As hot tears rolled down his cheek he moved away from the ship and returned to his family


	2. Chapter 2

Mara closed her eyes and lowered her head dejected when the boarding ramp of the _Wild Karrde_ sealed shutting Luke outside and away from her and their son. Talon Karrde came up behind her with Darik in his arms.

"Mara, maybe we should talk about this." He set Darik on the deck. "Go on and play." The little boy gave a big smile and then ran off. "Mara , I know it's your decision to make, but I'm part of this situation now and I really should know what's going on."

She ran a hand over her face wiping away the tears. She didn't realize how hard it would be to turn Luke away. She looked over to Karrde. "Okay, let's talk. Do you want to go to my cabin or yours?"

"Yours is fine," Talon remarked.

They turned and walked down to Mara's cabin which was adorned by dozens of holos of Darik. Many of the holos included her or Talon and sometimes Darik's "uncles" Chin or Aves.

Talon went and sat down at the edge of her bunk. "What did you tell him?"

Mara took a seat next to him. "I told him not to interfere. I said we were married and Darik thought you were his father."

A grin covered Talon's bearded face and his eyes shone with amusement. "We're married? I'm honored…but I'm afraid I missed the honeymoon somehow." His eyes narrowed. "Did you get me drunk and drag me to one of those 24 hour chapels?"

She playfully slapped him across the chest. "Knock it off. I made up a story that we were married in Corellia."

Talon nodded his head in understanding. "I get it. You're using the strict paternity laws of the planet to keep him from trying to get joint custody. What if he finds out you lied to him and that we're not married."

She gave him a narrow gaze. "Then I just might have to marry your sorry behind."

Talon chuckled. "Can I at least have a real honeymoon then?"

Mara rolled her eyes. "What would your girlfriend think about that?"

Karrde laughed. "I'll invite her along." He grinned mischievously. "After all, I am way too much man for any one woman."

Mara made a choking sound. "Force you are insufferable."

Karrde laughed but then turned serious. "Why don't you want Luke around his son? Luke's a good man."

Mara shook her head. "It's not him…it's Callista. I don't trust her and I am sure if she knew Luke fathered a child with me, she would do something to make my life miserable…like talking Luke into fighting for custody."

"Joint custody may not be too bad for Darik."

Mara glared at Talon. "You are totally oblivious to our situation aren't you? We are smugglers and Luke's a Jedi Master. A court won't see the loving environment we have forged on the _Wild Karrde_ for Darik. They'll only see a bunch of hardened smugglers and the Former Emperor's Hand raising the child of their most cherished war hero. I wouldn't be surprised if my parental rights were terminated outright and the judge gave full custody to Skywalker. And then my son will be raised by…that bodysnatching nutjob."

Talon ran a hand through his beard in thought. "You may be right." He stood up and moved towards the door. "I'll abide by any decision you make."

"Thank you." Mara said as she watched her friend leave her cabin.

.

.

_**~Two Months Later~ Taris**_

"Mara, can I talk to you?" Talon asked as he crossed paths with his second-in-command in the corridor of the ship.

"Sure."

Karrde pointed to his cabin. "Privately."

A concerned look crossed her face, but she nodded and followed Talon into his quarters. "What's wrong?"

Talon sighed. "Mara I got a private message from Han Solo. He requested our help."

Mara shrugged. "Does he want us to bring him spare parts for that antique ship he flies?"

Karrde rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "No, he wants us to go to Yavin 4."

Mara looked at Karrde in shock. "Why?"

Karrde walked over to his desk and sat down. "It seems the Solos are worried about Luke. Callista left him shortly after we saw him on Coruscant. Solo thinks Callista believed Luke would dump her over the paternity issue and she didn't want the responsibility of raising a son…so she left, leaving Luke to raise Ben alone. He hasn't seen her in almost two months."

"Gods," Mara moaned as she sank down on the edge of Karrde's bunk. "Poor Luke. Callista has to be crazy to leave her family like that. I never thought she was right in the head. You can't have your conscious trapped in a computer system for thirty years without going insane."

Karrde nodded sadly. "It gets worse. The Jedi Academy's Information Technology technician disappeared the same day as Callista. There are rumors that an affair had been going on for some time."

Mara gave Talon an incredulous look. "The I.T. guy…are you saying Callista ran off with the school's computer technician?" She knew she shouldn't laugh but it just struck her as funny. "The woman who lived in a computer for decades ran off with the computer expert."

Even Karrde had to laugh. "Maybe he knew how to turn her on."

Mara smirked "Or it could be she was just really user-friendly."

"Maybe she liked how he booted her up." Karrde added.

"Stop it!" Mara said holding up her hands in a halting motion. "Skywalker would kill us if he knew we were joking about his wife."

"Hopefully soon-to-be ex-wife," Karrde added.

"Hopefully," Mara grimaced. She could joke about it because it wasn't her life. Luke must be devastated and the fact that his wife was carrying on an affair with an employee at the Academy must make life on Yavin 4 very uncomfortable. "What does Solo want us to do on Yavin 4?"

"He wants us to retrieve Luke and bring him to Coruscant. We will be paid for the…Solo called it an "extraction"…like we are rescuing him."

Mara's face fell. "Damn that Skywalker," Mara growled. "It sounds like Solo knows about Darik. Why else would he ask us to help? He probably thinks only Darik and I could lure Luke away from that Jedi infested moon. I knew Skywalker couldn't keep his kriff'n mouth shut. I should…"

A pained expression came over Talon's face. "Mara, umm…I accidently may have let some things slip out when I saw Solo a month ago on Nar Shaddaa. He promised not to tell anybody…and it looks like he hadn't or we would have had Leia contacting us instead."

She shook her head. "I'm not going to save Skywalker's miserable butt…look what it got me the last time I tried that."

Karrde cocked his head to the side and gave her a stern look. "What it got you? It got you a son. And I don't think you regret that." He stood and put his hand on her shoulder. "Mara, no matter what your feelings are for the man, he saved your life, he saved mine and he _is_ the father of your child. Don't you think his butt is worth saving?"

She snorted, but then smiled. "It is a cute butt."

Karrde turned away. "That's too much information, Jade." He glanced over his shoulder and smiled. "Should I change course to Yavin 4?"

She nodded reluctantly. "We might as well. "

.

.

_**~Yavin 4~**_

Karrde maneuvered the small shuttle down to the Academy's landing pad. As they set down on the jungle moon Mara went through the ship's shut down and post-flight procedures. As she crawled through the steps in a methodical manner Karrde turned and gave her an impatient look. "You're stalling."

She glared at him…mainly because he was correct. She didn't look forward to this confrontation. She noticed movement outside the ship viewport. It was Tionne the Academy's archivist and foremost scholar on Jedi history walking up to the shuttle accompanied by an unhappy looking boy about Darik's age.

"I assume that is Ben Skywalker." Karrde said as he stared at the dark haired boy.

"Yes, I recognize him from the holos." She finished her work and pushed the boarding ramp descend button. "We might as well get this over with."

They both moved from the cockpit and down the ramp to face the silver haired Jedi scholar. Tionne smiled brightly as they exited the shuttle. "I'm so glad you came. I hope you can help. The Solos were here a couple weeks ago, but they weren't able to get Luke off the moon." She looked down at the young boy. "I think it would be best if Ben and Luke had a change of surroundings."

"We'll do what we can." Karrde said softly. He looked down at Luke's son. "Can you keep Ben with you until we're ready to go?"

"Of course. Do you need an escort to his quarters?"

Mara shook her head. "No, I know my way around." She nodded to Talon and they silently walked toward the Jedi Master's small apartment within the temple.

They knocked at the door a few times, but there was no answer. Mara impatiently entered the apartment uninvited. "Skywalker!" She called out. "It's Mara and Talon, we're coming in."

The apartment was dark and smelled like food left out in the trash can too long. Mara turned on the lights and walked over to the windows, pulling open the curtains and cracked the windows open to allow some fresh air in. Mara pointed to Luke's bed chamber. "Karrde, can you check his bedroom and make sure he's decent."

Karrde gave her a smirk. "Getting shy now?"

"Just do it," she shot back.

Karrde cracked open the bedroom door and spotted a large lump under the bedcovers. "Luke!"

There was a moan and then the lump moved. "Who's there?" Luke's voice sounded tired and strained.

"It's Talon and Mara. Didn't Han tell you we were going to pick you up?"

Luke sat up and ran a hand through his unruly hair. "Yes, but I thought there was no way in the nine Corellian Hells that Mara would actually come out here."

Karrde smiled as he entered the room and closed the door behind him. "Well, the impossible has happened. Get dressed."

Luke threw the covers off and stood. He was dressed in shorts and a stained t-shirt. His eyes were bloodshot and he had a mangy version of a beard growing on his face. He was a mess. He looked around the floor and picked up a pair of pants and started to put them on.

Karrde shook his head and stepped up to the Jedi. "Luke, those clothes are filthy and you are smelling a bit ripe. Go into the 'fresher, shower and shave and I'll scrounge up a fresh outfit and put it out on the bed for you."

Luke looked like he was going to protest, but he then nodded and wandered into the 'fresher. When Karrde heard the water running he picked up the clothing on the floor and put them into a hamper. He then went through the Jedi's dresser drawers and laid out a complete outfit on the bed. He then went to Luke's closet and found a small carry-all bag and filled it with a couple changes of clothing and exited the room. Mara was outside on the Jedi's couch tapping her fingers on her knees impatiently. "What's keeping him?"

Karrde dropped the bag on the floor next to her. "He smelled worse than a Vornskr. I'm having him shower and shave. He looks like he had the mange."

"So, he's coming?"

He nodded. "It looks like it."

Mara sat silently. This was going to be a very awkward flight to Coruscant.

After about fifteen minutes Skywalker came out of his room thoroughly scrubbed and in fresh clothing. Mara couldn't help but notice the feeling of misery that projected off of him. His face was drawn and there were dark bags under his eyes.

"I didn't think you'd show up," he confessed. "The only reason I told Han I would leave with you was I didn't think there was snowball's chance on Mustafar that you would actually come here."

Mara stood and picked up his luggage. "I'm just full of surprises."

Luke sighed dejectedly. "I am really getting tired of surprises."

Her face softened. "Luke I'm sorry."

He just stood looking at her blankly. "For what?"

She started to get agitated. "For what Callista has put you through the last couple months." She fidgeted for a moment. "And for what I put you through." She said softly. "I know the last few months must have been extremely difficult."

Luke walked over and sat in a cushioned arm chair across from Mara. He reached over to a side table and picked up some paperwork. "It'll be over soon." He tossed the papers over to her. They made it half way and ended up on the ground between them. Mara reached down and picked up the stack of papers. She dropped Luke's travel bag and then sat back down on the couch to read the documents. She looked over the first page and then looked back to Luke forlorn. "Divorce papers?"

Luke nodded. "She's wants out of the marriage as quickly as possible so she can get on with her life. She doesn't want anything from me…not even Ben." When he said the last words Mara felt a pang of despair and anger emanating from the Jedi.

"Luke, let's get to the shuttle," was all she could think of saying. "I'm sure Ben and Darik would love playing together." She knew it was a low tactic…using his sons as a way to pry him away from the academy.

Luke looked up surprised. "You would let us see Darik?" He turned to Karrde questioningly. "How do you feel about this?"

He didn't wait for an answer. He looked back to Mara. "I really think that's a decision that you should discuss with your husband first."

She noticed he stretched out the word 'husband'. Mara wasn't sure if he knew she lied to him or he was just trying to emphasis the need for married couples to stick together—something Callista was obviously bad at.

Karrde cleared his throat and gave her a strained, pleading look. "Mara…please."

He didn't need to specify what he wanted, she already knew. Karrde wanted an end to the charade. She looked at Luke with unsure eyes, not knowing if what she was going to tell him would help heal or just hurt the Jedi worse. "Luke," she said slowly.

She looked back to Karrde who just nodded to her encouragingly. "Karrde and I are not married. We are not even lovers. He's simply helping me raise Darik."

Luke sat up straight in his chair and looked between Karrde and Mara. "Does Darik know Talon's not his father?"

Mara took a deep breath. "He sees him as Daddy Talon. To Darik, Talon is his dad, but not the man who fathered him." She closed her eyes and sighed. "He's five years old. I didn't go into details."

Luke nodded. "So what does this mean to me? Can I see him?" He looked at Mara grief-stricken. "Will he ever know I'm his father?"

Mara chewed on her lower lip in thought. "Luke, let's go at this slow. I don't want to dump this all on Darik suddenly. I assume Ben doesn't know you are not his biological father…how do you think he'd react to that news?"

Luke's face distorted in pain. "He'd probably take it as well as the news that Mommy's gone and not coming back." His head dropped and Mara's heart clenched. Luke did not deserve any of this. Before she could stop herself she walked over and stood in front of him. She reached out and grabbed his hands and pulled him out of his chair…and then hugged him. Luke hugged her back fiercely, both of them fighting back tears.

"It's going to be alright Luke," Mara whispered to him. "I promise you that. There will be a happy ending to this story."


	3. Chapter 3

_**~Wild Karrde~**_

The shuttle ride up to the _Wild Karrde_ was fairly quiet. Luke had a million questions to ask Mara, but he didn't want to talk in front of his son Ben.

He ran through some Jedi relaxation techniques to try to unwind. The last couple months were more stressful than anything he experienced in his lifetime. Facing Emperor Palpatine was easy compared to telling a six-year-old boy that mommy left home and his parents were getting a divorce.

The affair and breakup hit Luke worse than if Callista had died. With infidelity there is the death of trust, love, marriage and family. Luke was left to face the fact that the person he trusted with all his heart had deliberately smashed his dreams beyond repair. She planned it, hid it, and then tried to make Luke think he was crazy when he questioned those strange late night comlink calls. The thought that his wife could look him the eye and tell him lie after lie was beyond comprehension. Did he ever really know Callista? Was anything she said the truth? Is this affair the first or only the first discovered out of many? Luke rubbed his temples trying to ward off a headache. He had to stop wallowing in his pain. He couldn't let his ineffable sense of loss and loneliness to emotionally and spiritually paralyze him. He had a son to take care of…Ben needed him.

The shuttle docked with the _Wild Karrde_ and Luke and Ben debarked first. The ship's pilot, Chin, who was accompanied by Darik, met them on the other side of the docking ring. When the two boys saw each other their faces lit up in excitement.

Mara exited the shuttle and moved to stand next to her son. "Darik, this is Ben. He's the son of Mommy's friend Luke Skywalker." She motioned to Luke.

"Do you want to go play?" Darik asked Ben excitedly.

The little boy turned back to Luke. "Can I Dad?"

Luke nodded. "Sure, but stay out of trouble."

Karrde walked up to the boys. "I'll bring them to the cargo bay, Luke. We have balls and other toys for them to play with."

"Just don't let them hurt Sturm." Mara cautioned Karrke. "Darik's too big to try to ride your vornskr like a dewback."

"I'll make sure they don't terrorize the Sturm too much," Karrde said with a grin as he ushered the two boys down the hall. Chin excused himself and went back to the ship's flight deck leaving Luke and Mara alone.

They stood looking at each other in uncomfortable silence. Mara eventually turned and motioned for Luke to follow. "Let's go to my cabin and I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

When they reached her quarters she opened door and allowed Luke to enter first. She followed, closed the door behind her, and then sat down on her bunk as Luke took a nearby chair.

She crossed her arms defensively. "Go ahead, unload if you want."

His head drooped. "No, I can understand…I think. You find out you're pregnant and then discover I'm married. You don't want to throw a wrench into my happiness, so you keep quiet."

She gave a forlorn little nod.

He looked up to her questioningly. "But what I do want to know is why you left after our night together."

The color deepened in her cheeks and there was a tenseness of her posture. "Luke, we were drunk and lost control. It was a mistake and I was embarrassed by my behavior. We're not teenagers. We should have had some self-control." She looked into his blue eyes. "Luke I was hoping if I put some time and distance between us you would forget about what happened and we could go back to the way we were."

Luke laughed derisively. "Mara, I wasn't _that_ drunk; I don't think I will ever forget that night. It was special."

She gave him a steady look. "Then why did you marry Callista?"

His face distorted in pain. "You know why, Jade."

"You were doing the honorable thing?"

"That was part of the reason. I still loved her, even after she hurt me by leaving. When she told me she was pregnant I immediately proposed. I probably should have thought things over, but I still had feelings for her… and I wanted a family."

He gazed into Mara's eyes. "Mara, what do I need to do to have a relationship with my son Darik?"

She lapsed into a thinking pause and then gave him a forthright gaze. "When the time comes to tell him you're his father…we do it together. If that subject comes up earlier then tell him he needs to talk to me."

Luke nodded. "Fair enough."

"Luke, I don't want Darik to be around Callista. Don't ask me why, I just never liked her. If she comes crawling back to you I won't let Darik be around her." She paused. "I'll still allow you to see him on the _Wild Karrde_ or somewhere away from the bodysna…Callista."

Luke gave a bitter laugh. "Go ahead and say it…the bodysnatcher. You think I haven't heard that said among my Jedi students when they thought I was out of hearing range." He sighed. "I wish I never found the _Eye of Palpatine_."

Mara looked at him skeptically. "And give up your son…I doubt that. I think even you will admit Ben is worth the pain you endured with Callista."

Luke smiled at the thought of his son. Mara had been right when she talked to Luke on Coruscant...it didn't matter what the blood tests proved...Ben was Luke's son and he loved him unconditionally. "I just wish he didn't have to lose his mother." Bitterness twisted his lips. "I wish she could have stayed faithful. It's humiliating to think I wasn't good enough for her to stay."

Mara frowned in annoyance. "Oh please Luke, it had nothing to do with you."

"How do you know that?" He shot back.

"Were you disrespectful to her? Did you demean her, take her for granted? Did you cheat on her? Did you hit her or call her names?"

"Of course not." Luke said slightly offended.

"Luke some people are never happy and they never see the problem as being within them. They always look for an outside source for their unhappiness. Callista couldn't look deep within herself and see what was broken." Mara hesitated for a moment, before continuing. "I don't want to disrespect somebody you may still care about…but I always saw her as a narcissist. You can't take over some young woman's body and live out a new life with a handsome Jedi Master without having some feelings of entitlement. Believe me Luke, the affair was not about you…it was all about her."

Luke gazed at the floor sadly. "You really think so?"

"I know so." Mara gave him a forced smile. "I spent almost two decades working with the High Exalted Sith Lord of Narcissism—Emperor Palpatine. I'm not suggesting Callista was Sith, I'm just saying I saw personality quirks in her that I saw in the Emperor. They only thought about themselves and what others could do for them."

Luke remained silent, not knowing what to say next. Mara stood and pulled him out of his chair. "Come on Luke, let's go see your sons."

.

.

.

As they entered the cargo bay their ears were immediately assaulted by the high pitch screams of delight that only young children are capable of producing. Luke smiled as he saw Ben, Darik and Talon kicking a ball around the deck playing keep away from Karrde's pet vornskr. The usually vicious canine-like animal ran back and forth trying to snatch the ball in his mouth full of sharp teeth. Finally the animal succeeded in capturing the ball and now it was the boys' turn to chase the nocturnal predator.

Luke walked up to Karrde. "Is it safe for the boys to be around Sturm…from what I remember the animal wasn't too fond of me."

Karrde shrugged. "It's fine. Sturm loves kids."

"That's because Sturm thinks they taste like pittins." Mara added sarcastically.

The smuggler chuckled. "She's joking Luke, Sturm has never hurt Darik…now Darik hurting Sturm, that's another matter. When Darik was a toddler he would chase poor Sturm and pull at his fur. I have never seen a vornskr put up with so much abuse."

Luke gave a sad smile. "I wish I was there to see that." He turned to Mara. "Did you take any holos?"

Mara laughed and gazed at her son with unabashed affection. "Talon used to joke that I had recorded every minute of Darik's life." She smiled reminiscently. "I don't think I was that bad, but we have all the important things…first bath, first steps, first words…"

"What was his first word," Luke asked curious.

She grimaced. "To my horror it was _'Sturm'_."

"Then Da Da," Karrde announced proudly his eyes sparkled with amusement.

Mara glowered at him. "I think you coached him extensively."

Karrde put his hands to his chest in a _'who me'_ gesture.

"Yes, you!"

Luke had drifted away from the conversation as he watched Ben and Darik playing together like old friends. He realized Darik probably didn't have many playmates his age and this must be an unusual occurrence for the boy. Seeing the two run and laugh together brought joy to his heart. For a brief instant a beautiful image floated across Luke's mind. It was a vision of these two children growing up together and becoming two men bound to each other as brothers. Luke shook his head and refocused on the reality of the moment. He shouldn't dream so idealistically. In the last two months, he learned the hard painful truth of life…dreams rarely come true and if they do…they can be crushed.

Karrde came up to Luke and put a hand on his shoulder startling him out of his chain of thought. "Luke, would you mind if Mara and I took Ben up to see the cockpit." He gave Luke's shoulder a quick squeeze. "It'll give you some one-on-one time with Darik."

Luke gave a grateful smile. "Thanks Talon. I appreciate it."

"Hey Ben," Talon called out. "Do you want to see the flight deck of the ship?"

The boy's bright green eyes lit up. "Yes!" He looked over to his dad. "Is it okay, Dad?"

Luke nodded. Ben ran towards Karrde and Mara with Darik following quickly behind before Mara stopped him. "Darik, can you do me a favor and show my friend Luke around the ship. Go show him your room and the holos you have sailing and skiing."

Darik gave Mara a boyish grin. "Okay Mom." Darik took Luke's hand in his and pulled him toward the corridor. "Come on I'll show you my holos."

.

.

.

"And this holo has pictures of our trip to…"the blond hair boy gave an embarrassed smile. "I can't remember the names of all the planets."

"That's okay," Luke pushed the button to active the holoprojector. "I bet I can figure out where you were."

The air above the projector disk shimmered and then coalesced into an image of Darik and Mara in a small sailboat. Luke's eyebrows rose in surprise. He didn't know Mara knew how to sail. The images changed every few seconds to show Karrde and Darik around a campfire, the crew of the Wild Karrde swimming in a Lake, Darik at a holo-arcade, Mara and Darik sliding down a zip-line, Darik skiing…it looked like Mara and Karrde made sure they spent time as a family on each planet they visited. The last image was of Chin in a baggy swimsuit straddling a water speeder with Darik sitting in front of him with his hands on the steering controls.

"Uncle Chin is fun. He got the water speeder going really fast. We hit a wave and went way up in the air." The blond hair boy grinned wildly as he used his hands to pantomime what happened. "It was fun, but Mom yelled at Uncle Chin for not being safe."

"It looks like you like living on the _Wild Karrde_." Luke said softly.

Darik nodded. "It's not so fun between planets. I have to do school work." The boy suddenly stopped talking when he noticed something on Luke's belt. "Is that a lightsaber?"

"Yes."

Darik gave him a look of awe. "Are you are Jedi?"

Luke nodded. "Yes, I am."

The boy examined Luke's lightsaber without touching it. "My mommy has a lightsaber, but she said she's not a Jedi." The boy moved around Luke to see the saber better. "She said my Daddy gave it to her. He's a Jedi."

This surprised Luke. "Do you mean your Daddy Talon?" he asked hesitantly.

Darik laughed. "No. Daddy Talon helps mommy take care of me. Mommy said my daddy is a Jedi but he had to go far away."

Luke swallowed a lump in his throat. "Did she tell you anything else?"

"She said I'm cute like my dad."

"Oh really," Luke laughed.

"Yeah, and she must love him a lot," the little boy whispered.

Luke's brow creased. "Why do you say that?"

"Because Mommy says she loved him almost as much as me…and she loves me a lot." He looked up at Luke his blue eyes seemed to bore through him intensely. "Do you know my Daddy?"

Luke was momentarily struck speechless. "I…umm, I think I need to talk to your mother first about that."

The little boy nodded. "Okay." He looked toward the door. "Can I go play with Ben again?"

Luke stood and took Darik's hand. "Sure, let's go find Ben."


	4. Chapter 4

At the end of the evening Mara and Luke had two exhausted little boys on their hands. They had played nonstop until dinner. After their meal Mara put in a children's holo into the projector for the kids to watch. Less than halfway through the film she discovered both boys asleep.

She went to the galley and found Luke drinking a hot chocolate. "They are both asleep. I set up the second bunk in Darik's room for Ben. Can you help me bring them to the cabin?"

Luke smiled brightly. "Sure." They went to the recreation room and each picked up their sons slowly and gently so not to awaken them. They were carried to the room and tucked into their bunks. Mara made sure the nightlight was on and softly closed the door. She turned to see Luke staring at her with a besotted look on his face.

"What?" she asked.

Luke's smile widened. "I am just amazed at how good of a mother you are."

A teasing smile touched her lips. "Are you amazed because you didn't think a former assassin could be loving, or did Darik astound you with stories about my incredible parenting skills." She chuckled as she turned and walked toward her cabin.

"Definitely the latter…I always knew you were loving." Luke proclaimed as he followed her. " In fact you are the most lovable former assassin I know."

She turned and gave him a faintly amused expression. "Skywalker, are you flirting with me?"

A surprised look crossed Luke's face…as if he just realized that was exactly what he was doing. "I'm sorry Mara. It's been a while since I had a good day."

She laughed. "Don't be sorry, you turn such a cute shade of red when embarrassed."

A wide smile bloomed across his face. "Darik said you thought I was cute."

She looked at him in stunned disbelief. "He said what?"

Mara didn't think it was possible, but Luke's grin grew wider. "He told me you said he was cute like his father…I assume you were referring to me."

The color deepened in her cheeks as she shook her head. "What else did he tell you, or do I even want to know?"

He looked up at the ceiling in thought. "You may not want to know." He then burst out in laughter.

Mara tried to be mad at the man, but she couldn't. It was good to see him happy again. Her features soften and she laughed with him. "Come on in," she gestured to her room. "Let's talk."

* * *

.

Luke and Mara sat on opposite ends of her bed swapping parenthood stories. Although Luke knew it was probably not a good idea, Mara had brought out a bottle of wine that they were now sharing. He hesitated to take the alcohol for a moment remembering what happened the last time they were alone drinking together, but then he realized he really didn't mind what happened. In fact, he wouldn't mind if it happened repeatedly.

Mara's head flew back in laughter as one of Luke's comments. "You were Mister Mom in your household?"

Luke shrugged. "As a baby, Ben seemed to have a propensity to vomit on Callista whenever she held him. She didn't find it as endearing as I did."

Mara smirked. "I find Ben puking on Callista very endearing."

"I meant I didn't mind it when Ben did it to me." Luke said with a chuckle. He took another sip of his wine and then looked at his beautiful companion over the edge of his glass.

He loved the way she looked when she laughed. Her reddish gold hair would move around her shoulders seductively and the heave of her breast was intoxicating. He remembered their one night together; it was burned into his memory. She held nothing back from him and he was brought to heights of pleasure he didn't think possible. The intertwining of the Force senses between lovers was powerful and electrifying…and it something he never shared with his soon-to-be ex-wife, Callista.

She was a total void in the Force. Sex with her wasn't like making love to a non-Force user. Gaeriel Captison wasn't a Force sensitive, but Luke could still feel her feelings and emotions when they were together…but with Callista there wasn't even that. She was a complete blank; he imagined it was like making love to a human replica droid.

Since Callista left him he found himself thinking about that night in Mara's arms more and more. He wondered what his life would be like if she had stayed. Would he have left her to marry a pregnant Callista? If he didn't know about Mara's pregnancy, he might have felt pressured to do so. Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru raised him by a strict moral code. He would have felt duty bound to provide an intact family for his unborn child. But despite his upbringing, he probably wouldn't have been able to tear himself away from this beautiful redhead.

He _did_know he would have immediately proposed to Mara if he found about her pregnancy first…and not just out of a sense of duty. The trouble was…he wasn't sure she would have agreed to marry him. She was more pragmatic. She wouldn't rush into marriage as foolishly as he did. Still, he wondered what prompted Mara to make love to him that night so long ago.

He didn't know if it was the liquid courage affecting him, but he suddenly blurted out a question that was burning in his mind all day. "Did you tell Darik you loved me?"

Mara stopped laughing and sat silent. She closed her eyes and grimaced. "He told you that?"

"Yes."

She looked up at Luke. "You have to understand, he was asking about his father. What should I have told him?"

He stared at her. "Was what you said true?"

She got up off the bed and put her glass of wine away on her desk. "Luke, it's getting late." When she turned around Luke was only centimeters from her.

"Mara, tell me. Is it true?"

"Your drunk, Skywalker." When she pushed him towards the door something in Luke snapped. He scooped her up in his arms and kissed her. She resisted for a moment but then melted into his embrace and returned the kiss. When they broke apart he looked at her expectantly, hoping above all else that she didn't reject him.

She shook her head. "Luke, you may have signed the paperwork, but you are still officially married until the Magistrate makes the final decree. I am not going to get involved with a married man. Anyway, the ink isn't even dry on the divorce papers…you're on the rebound."

Luke nodded sadly. "That's true, but my marriage was over a long time ago. She's abandoned Ben and me and has been gone for two months. Before that she was distant and always out of the apartment. More than a few times I found Ben home alone and she was nowhere to be found." His head drooped dejectedly. "I guess she was with _him_…she always had an excuse and I always believed her like the naïve farmboy I am."

"It's not naive to trust your spouse. That's the one person you should trust." She looked at him sadly. "Luke, I'm sorry you're hurting, but we can't jump into a relationship to escape reality. We have to look at the big picture. This situation involves more than just you and me. We have children to consider."

Luke felt a bit embarrassed. He was thinking of himself and not how a relationship with Mara would affect Ben. "You're right. No matter what's transpired, Ben will probably always hope his parents will get back together."

"Darik will probably be thrilled to learn you are his biological father, but when it comes to the future, he is going to be torn as to who he wants to be with. He has spent five years bonding with Talon. He may not be the father, but Talon loves Darik. We need to consider his desire to stay connected with the boy he helped raise."

Luke massaged his temples with his fingers. "Gods Mara, this is going to be more complicated than I thought."

She put her hand on his shoulder. "Not if we go slow and let the children adjust. As for the adults…we need to find out if Callista is going to change her mind and request joint custody. We would need to find a way to keep Talon connected with Darik." She gazed into his eyes. "Luke this is going to be a very slow process."

Luke's spirit was buoyed by the fact that Mara was talking about their future. She was correct though. Why should Luke think that Ben would be happy at all about somebody replacing his mother? And no matter how much Ben got along with Darik, he was bound to have some jealousy issues when it came to sharing his father with anybody else. They would have to proceed cautiously.

"Now get out of here, before we do something we'll regret." Mara opened her cabin door and pointed down the hall. "Your room is the last cabin on the left."

Luke turned to her and smiled. "You never answered my question."

Mara's eyes narrowed and Luke could feel her agitation through the Force, but then something loosened within her and she gave him a relaxed grin. "It's slightly true."

He couldn't help but smile. "You love me a little bit."

She smirked and held her finger and thumb apart about 4 centimeters. "Just a little." She averted her eyes nervously. "You are the father of my son, I can't help but have some feelings." She looked up at him her green eyes gazing deeply into his blue. "We will always be connected through Darik and for some bizarre reason, I think we have a connection through the Force. It's like it's always pushing us together."

Luke felt a powerful upwelling of emotion. He reached out to her wanting to feel her in his arms again, but she held up her hands warning him off.

"When your divorce is final, Luke. What's gotten into you?"

He reached out and grasped her hand bringing it to his chest. "You got into me. You've found your way into my heart."

He was a bit crestfallen when she laughed out loud. "I'm sorry Luke, that is just the corniest line I have ever heard." She stopped laughing and looked at him sincerely. "When you are a free man we can continue this conversation."

He reigned in the overpowering reactions she produced within him and gave her a gentle smile. "Thank you Mara…and I love you too…at least this much." He held out his hands about twenty-five centimeters apart.

She laughed as she pushed him out the door. "You're incorrigible."

"I know," he chuckled as he reluctantly turned and walked down to the cabin assigned to him.


	5. Chapter 5

They were nearing the end of the four-day flight from Yavin 4 to Coruscant and for the first time in months Luke had found himself laughing, upbeat and looking forward to what the future held. It had been a very long time since he'd felt this way.

When Ben wasn't playing with Darik he was up on the _Wild Karrde_ flight deck totally mesmerized by all the buttons and lights. Luke was impressed with the tolerance Chin had for the little boy's questions. _"What's this do, what's that do?_" Usually a 6-year-olds inquisitiveness would become old and annoying after the tenth or twentieth question, but Chin and Talon patiently answered all of Ben's inquiries. Talon commented that he was highly impressed with Ben's ability to learn and recall the large amounts of information presented to him.

_'He's probably going to grow up to be a pilot,_' Karrde had remarked.

Luke smiled inwardly. Ben might not share Luke's genes, but he did have similar likes and dislikes and an obsession with flight was one of them. In that respect he definitely was his father's son. Ben wanted to fly just as much as Luke did at his age. Ben wouldn't become a Jedi, but Luke could see him as a graduate of the New Republic Fleet Academy. Perhaps he would go on to command his own Star Destroyer one day.

The long days of flight also allowed Luke to get to know Darik better. The boy had Luke's looks, but his mother's discipline and methodical personality. Luke noticed that Darik watched people intently; he listened to them and appeared to scrutinize the situations around him. Often Luke would catch Darik staring at him intensely as if he was trying to solve a mystery.

And the boy had incredible strength in the Force. One day Luke covertly reached out mentally to the boy to gage his Force potential and he found himself almost physically shoved back by Darik's startled response. The last time that happened was when Luke tested Kyp Durron. Having two Force strong parents definitely increased Darik's strength in the Force. He would one day be a powerful Jedi.

Luke was pleasantly surprised that Ben apparently taken a liking to Mara. He would find his son following her around, asking her questions about her work as a smuggler and the different places her and Darik had visited. …it was almost like he was desperate for a mother-figure in his life. Luke realized he would need to talk to his son about the current situation. He didn't want Ben to think Mara was going to replace his mother…although Luke knew Mara would be a much better role model for his son than Callista ever could. Still, he should discuss the divorce with Ben.

Luke saw his chance to speak to his son alone after their mid-day meal. Darik had not finished eating and Ben was walking back to the room the two boys shared.

"Ben," Luke said as he intercepted his son in the corridor. "I would like to talk to you privately for a minute."

A concerned looked crossed the boy's face.

Luke laughed. "Don't worry, you're not in trouble." He thought for a moment. "Did you do something that I should know about?"

Ben shook his head innocently.

"Okay, it'll just take a few minutes," Luke said as he guided his son into his cabin and shut the door.

Luke sat down on his bunk and motioned for Ben to join him. The little boy sat next to his father and Luke put an arm around him and gave him a hug. Luke looked down at his son. "How do you like being on the _Wild Karrde?"_

His son smiled. "It's great. I like Darik and Captain Karrde and his Pilot Chin are teaching me to fly the ship!"

"That's great." Luke said with a smile. "How about Darik's mother? Do you like her."

The boy nodded. "She's nice." He looked up at his dad. "Do you like her?"

Luke nodded. "Yes I do, very much." He hesitated in thought. He wasn't sure how to put this. "Ben, you know mommy and I are getting a divorce, but do you understand what that means?"

He lowered his head and nodded. "Yes. You're not going to live together anymore."

Luke hugged his son tighter. "I know this is tough on you and you miss your mom."

"No," Ben whispered.

Luke looked down at his son shocked. "No, what?"

Tears welled up in the boy's eyes. "I don't miss her. She didn't like me and would yell at me."

This was news to Luke. He never heard Callista yell at Ben in his presence. "I'm sure your mom loves you very much…when did your mom yell at you?"

"When the computer in your room would break. She'd tell me to go to my room while the computer fixing man was there."

Luke's stomach knotted and he could feel a cold rage rising within him. "The computer man was in mommy and daddy's room?" Luke asked between clenched teeth.

Ben nodded. "If I knocked at the door mommy would get really mad at me. The man never fixed the computer. When you were visiting Aunt Leia the computer broke every day and he'd make a lot of noise trying to fix it."

Luke was now trembling in anger. "Well, he was banging on something old and broken that probably couldn't be fixed," Luke muttered through grinding teeth.

Luke closed his eyes and went through some of his calming techniques. It wouldn't help Ben to see his father angry. "So, you're not upset that mommy is not with daddy anymore?"

Ben shook his head. "I'm sorry. Is that bad?" There were tears running down his son's face and Luke's heart clenched.

"No, it's not bad." Luke pulled Ben into his lap and gave him a big hug. "I'll love you enough for two people, Ben."

"I love you, too." Ben cried softly.

* * *

.

Luke held his son for some time until he calmed down and asked to go play with Darik. Once he was gone Luke's calm façade crumbled. He paced back and forth in the small cabin like a sand panther, all the time swearing under his breath. He could _not_believe Callista would have the audacity to bring her lover into their marital bed! He had an incredible urge to go back to Yavin 4 and burn the mattress, sheets and anything else Callista or her lover possibly touched.

There was a soft rap on his cabin door and Luke could sense Mara on the other side. He was probably creating a major ripple in the Force. He really didn't want to talk about this now, but he knew Mara rarely took no for an answer. He palmed the locking panel allowing the door to slide open. As he expected Luke found a very concerned looking redhead outside.

"Luke, what's wrong?"

He shook his head. "I'm just finding out more kriffed up stuff that Callista was doing while I was out of the apartment." He ran his hand through his hair. "She was kriffing her lover in_ my_ bed _while Ben was in the apartment!"_

Mara closed her eyes and shook her head sadly. "Did Ben know what was happening?"

"Luckily, no."

Mara moved forward and hugged Luke. He welcomed her warmth; it felt good to feel compassion and love once again. He eventually broke away and sat on his bunk. "Ben told me he didn't miss his mom."

Mara sat next to him. "I guess that's good…especially since you don't know if she'll ever ask for visitation."

Luke nodded sadly. "I can't wait until some semblance of normality returns to my life. I want the divorce to be over and if I never see her again, it would be too soon."

Mara sighed with an air of sympathy. "I know what you mean."

Luke looked over to her and frowned. "I'm sorry you were dragged into this mess. You were doing fine without me."

She reached out and touched his hand in a reassuring gesture. "Things happen for a reason. Don't you find it strange that I was able to avoid you for six years…right up to the point where the bantha poodoo hit the fan in your life."

"I thought you didn't believe in fate…that the Force guides us."

She gave him a gesture of resignation. "Sometimes the so-called coincidences are just too incredible to be just chance. Anyway, I wasn't dragged into this mess. When Darik was conceived you became part of my life…even if you didn't know it at the time. I am a part of this story as much as you are."

He leaned back on his bunk and covered his face with his hands as if trying to shut out the world. Mara reclined next to him staring at the ceiling. "What should we do? What should we tell the kids?"

Luke sighed sadly. "I know people have different opinions on the resiliency of children, but I really don't see any good coming out of telling Ben I am not his biological father."

Mara nodded. "I agree." She turned to look at him. "What about telling Ben that Darik is your son?"

Luke blew out a deep breath. "That's the hard part. Will he be happy, jealous or upset?"

"Maybe we should get the boys together and tell them together." Mara suggested.

Luke thought about it. Darik's paternity was bound to come out sometime… perhaps Mara was right.

"Okay," Luke said, "when do you want to do it?"

"Are you calm enough to do it now?"

Once the anger subsided, Luke felt like all his energy was drained out of him. He was tired of riding this emotional rollercoaster. "I am as ready as I will ever be," he muttered.

She got out of his bunk. "Let me talk to Karrde first and then I'll bring the boys in here for a talk."

Luke slowly nodded his head. "Okay."

* * *

.

Mara found Karrde on the flight deck alone. She sat down next to him in the co-pilot seat. He gave her a quick glance, but then turned to face her fully. "I don't like that look on your face. What's going on?"

She lowered her eyes and braced herself for what she was going to say. "Luke and I decided it's time to tell the boys that Luke is Darik's father. I want to know what your feelings are on the matter."

He rubbed his hand through his beard in thought. "The rational part of my mind says that it's something that needs to be done. But my heart doesn't want to lose my relationship with your son."

"I understand." She glanced over to her boss. "What do you think about being Grandpa Talon?"

Karrde laughed. "First you say I'm your husband and now I am demoted to being your father? You _do_realize that I am only 14 years your senior."

She smiled. "You started young…anyway, I don't see it as a demotion. But seriously, you would have access to Darik as any grandfather would and Darik will finally have what he always wanted, _his real dad._" She paused realizing that sounded bad. "Not that you haven't been a real father to Darik."

Karrde gave a faint smile. "I know what you mean. Darik has idealized his biological father for a long time. He was the Jedi hero off fighting the bad guys in a far off land. Darik wants the fairy tale ending where his dad comes back and they live happily-ever-after."

"But it won't be a good ending if he doesn't have you in his life." Mara pointed out.

Karrde gave her a steady look. "Are you and Skywalker talking about starting a blended family? Do you think this will end up in marriage?"

Mara sat back in her seat eyes wide. "We haven't considered things that far ahead yet. Does it matter to you?"

"Well, if you two get married…wouldn't I have two grandsons?"

Mara smiled broadly. "Would you like that?"

Karrde nodded. "I think I would. Ben is a great kid. He's without the Force, so maybe he needs a man in his life that he can relate to. Han or I fit the bill. Also he wants to be a pilot. I wouldn't mind having him around when Darik visits."

Mara stood up and reached over and hugged Karrde. She gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek and smiled. "Thank you."

Karrde smiled. "It's my pleasure. So when am I supposed to start spoiling them?"

Mara laughed. "As soon as we tell them and it becomes official."

* * *

.  
Mara found the boys playing ball in the cargo bay. "Darik, Ben, can you come with me, Ben's dad and I want to talk to you two."

The two boys looked at each other nervously.

"Do you think she found out we rode on Sturm's back?" Mara heard Ben whisper to Darik.

"Shhhh." Darik whispered back. "She can hear really good."

Mara smiled as she guided them to Luke's cabin. "Go ahead and sit on the bunk," she told the boys. The boys gave each other an anxious look then took a seat next to each other on the bunk. Mara and Luke pulled up chairs so they could look directly at the children. There was an awkward silence for a moment until Mara eventually looked at Luke. "Who's going to start?"

Luke took a deep breath. "I will." He turned to his son. "Ben, Darik's mom, Mara, and I have known each other for a very long time. We knew each other before I met your mommy. Your mommy and I dated for a while and then she left. This is before we were married. After your mommy left and I started dating Mara." Luke realized that dating was stretching the truth a bit, but he didn't want to explain the circumstances of Darik's conception. "Ben, your mom came back and said she was pregnant with you. So Mara and I stopped seeing each other and I married your mommy so we could be a family."

He turned to Mara hoping she would jump in at sometime. She apparently got the hint and she continued. "Darik, when Luke left to marry Ben's mommy…he didn't know I was pregnant with you. And I didn't tell him until a couple months ago."

She paused and let that sink in. The boys looked at each other confused.

They were not taking the hint, so Mara blurted it out. "Darik, Luke is your real father."

Luke expected either jubilance or crying, but neither happened. The two boys were silent and looked at each other uneasily. "Are we brothers?"

"Yes," Luke said.

"Am I going to have to leave Daddy Talon?" Darik asked anxiously.

Mara moved to sit next to her son. "No, Daddy Talon will always be in your life. He said since your real daddy returned he wants to be your Grandpa Talon. I will make sure you will still see him as much as possible."

Luke looked at Mara in surprise. He was a little astonished that Karrde would take on the title of Grandpa…uncle maybe…

"The only thing that is definitely going to change is you will spend time with your real dad and your brother," Mara continued. "But most of the time you will be with me and Grandpa Karrde like we always were."

Luke was a little disappointed. He was hoping Mara and Darik would agree to live on Yavin 4 with him, but he realized Mara had a career and they didn't have romantic relationship…yet.

Luke looked at Ben. "Ben, are you okay with having a new brother?" Luke could tell his son was overwhelmed by the news. He had a dumbfounded look to him as he tried to process what was being said.

"Do I have to give him half my toys?" Ben asked.

Luke laughed. "I would hope you would share, but no, I am sure Darik has plenty of toys of his own." Luke looked at Darik. "What do you think about me being your father Darik?"

"I already knew." Darik proclaimed quietly.

Mara frowned. "Who told you?"

"Nobody." The boys smiled and pointed to Luke. "We feel the same."

Luke's brow creased. "You mean in the Force?"

Darik nodded. "We feel the same in the Force. And when Mom is around you she feels different. I can tell she loves you almost as much as me…so you must be my daddy."


	6. Chapter 6

Luke smiled at Darik's comment about Mara loving him. He held his arms out to his children. Darik stood and hugged Luke. "Come here Ben," Luke said as he motioned to his other son. Ben smiled as he embraced his father.

Luke held them both tightly then gradually released them giving each boy a kiss on their foreheads. "I love you two very much." He looked up at Mara. "And I love you too."

Mara blushed and looked away.

Luke stood and looked at the two boys lovingly. "You guys may want to have time alone to think or talk about what's happened." He opened the door to his cabin. "Why don't you two go to your rooms or play in the cargo hold for a while. I would like to talk to Darik's mom privately."

The two boys gave each other knowing looks. "I think they are going to kiss." Darik said with his face scrunched up in disgust.

"Gross," Ben agreed as he exited.

"And you better not ride on Sturm's back again," Mara called out.

The two boys glanced to each other. "I told you she could hear really well." Darik whispered to his brother.

Luke closed the door and then turned towards Mara with a self-satisfied grin.

"Darik makes some interesting observations."

She rolled her eyes and sat on his bed with her back to the bulkhead. "He's just like his father. He doesn't censor his thoughts. He just blurts out whatever pops into his head." She raised an eyebrow in his direction. "That's probably why your sister is the politician and not you."

Luke sat down next to her. "So are you saying what he said isn't true."

She gazed at him in irritation. "There's truth to it. You are the father of my son." She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her head on them. "Every time I look at him I am reminded of you. I love him more than anything in the world and I realize I wouldn't have him without you. How can I not have feelings for the father of my son? You gave me my greatest gift…my greatest joy."

Luke sat for a moment deep in thought. There was so much he wanted for the boys but he wasn't sure if Mara felt the same way.

"Mara, is there a way that the boys can be raised together?" Luke asked.

"You could join the Wild Karrde crew," she said halfheartedly.

"Or you and Darik can join me at the Academy," Luke ventured. "Darik should train as a Jedi. He's very powerful in the Force." He paused for a moment. "You could finish your training."

He could see her stiffen at the very suggestion. "Why does it always come back to that? The training. I tried the training...I didn't like the training." She gave him a hard look. "Have you ever considered that Darik might not want to be a Jedi? He may dream about becoming an engineer or a veterinarian…and not a Jedi engineer or Jedi veterinarian. And did you ever once consider that perhaps I don't want my son's life always in danger?"

Luke was stunned momentarily. He never once considered the possibility that Darik would not train as a Jedi. He rubbed his temple trying to work out some of the stress. "Why can't anything be easy?"

Mara turned to Luke. "Darik has to forge his own destiny. It's not preordained that he will follow your footsteps." She gestured in a sad way. "If Darik wants to train as a Jedi, I won't stop him. Force knows he idolizes the Jedi and if he's anything like you he will always run into harms way to save the day."

She got up off his bunk. "I told you this will take time. Give it time." She opened the door to his room. "We should be at Coruscant in a few hours. You might want to get packed."

Luke just nodded. He hoped things went well with his sister.

* * *

**~Coruscant~**

Mara, Luke and the two boys took the shuttle down from the Wild Karrde. Talon said he needed to do a quick run and would be back in about three weeks. Mara knew he probably signed up for any cargo mission available in order to avoid any awkward conversations with the Solos.

When they arrived at the Solo apartment Leia met them at the door. Ben ran forward and gave her a big hug. "I missed you Aunt Leia."

The former princess of Alderaan kneeled down and kissed the boy on the cheek and hugged him back. "Anakin and the twins are in the back recreation room if you want to go there."

Ben turned towards Darik. "Can Darik go with me?"

Leia looked where Ben was pointing and saw a small boy hiding shyly behind Mara. "Darik, do you want to join Ben?" Leia said softly.

Darik came out behind Mara and gave a shy smile to Leia. "Thank you," he said before he ran down the hall after Ben.

Mara could feel shock coming off of Leia who looked at the small boy disappearing down the hall. Leia turned back to Mara and then stared at her brother.

"Luke?" was all she said.

Luke nodded. "He's Mara and my child."

Leia blinked a few times. Mara could see she was trying to do the math.

"Leia, Mara and I got together when Callista walked out on me the first time. By the time Mara knew she was pregnant I was already married." Luke explained.

Han entered the room. "Aren't you going to invite them in, or are you all going to stand in the doorway?"

Leia turned to Han. "Can you get me a glass of water?" Leia went to the couch to sit down. "Too much has happened this week." She turned to glare at her brother. "When were you going to tell me about your second son?" Her voice was tinged with annoyance and disappointment.

Han came up to Leia with her glass of water. "Give him a break sweetheart, he only found out a couple months ago."

Leia turned to Han in disbelief. "You knew about this?"

Han cringed. "Only for a few weeks Leia. Karrde asked me to keep it a secret."

She took a deep breath and then let it out. She took a sip of water and then stood up and walked to the dining table. "Luke, since you weren't at the Academy some documentation was delivered here." She picked up a datapad and handed it to her brother. "I don't know if it is happy or sad news to you."

Luke scrolled down the document. It was the final divorce decree. His marriage was over and he was now a free man. He sighed with relief.

"Before you celebrate you need to look at the second document." Leia's voice choked up a bit; it was obviously something that deeply distressed her.

Luke punched up the second document and Mara could see the blood drain from his face. He shook his head and gave a caustic laugh. "Callista is always full of surprises…but this time she is doing me a favor."

"What is it?" Mara asked.

Luke handed her the datapad. "It's from her divorce lawyer. Callista is willing to severe her parental rights if I agree not to seek child support."

Leia shook her head. "What kind of mother abandons her son?"

"A really bad mother," Luke remarked sadly as he reached for the datapad. "It looks like I can do a digital signature by having my thumbprint scanned." He touched his thumb to the box outlined on the screen. He then sent the document back to Callista's lawyer and then turned to his family. "It's over. I'm divorced and Ben is mine alone."

* * *

.

Leia hugged her brother and pulled him down on the couch with her. She motioned for Mara to sit down in the chair across from her. "Can I please get the full story?"

"Yes," Luke said as he detailed to his sister how Darik came to be, why his existence was hidden from him, and how he found out he had another son.

Mara gave Leia an abashed look. "You are probably angry at me. And I don't blame you."

Leia squeezed her eyes shut and took a calming breath. "I wish I could have known Darik in his first five years, but I can understand your thinking." She looked up at Luke. "Do the boys know?"

"Ben knows I am Darik's father. I am not going to discuss Ben's paternity…ever. Ben is my son and the boys are brothers. It's as simple as that."

Leia nodded as she looked at her brother sadly. "You don't look like you slept soundly for months." She stood and went to her office and returned with an entry card. "We still maintain your small apartment downstairs. We'll watch the kids if you want to unwind and get some sleep. Take as long as you need."

Luke took the keycard and smiled. "Thanks Leia." He turned to leave, but then glanced back to Mara. "Are you coming?"

Mara blanched at the awkward situation. She looked from Luke to Han and then Leia.

"Go on ahead," Han said impatiently. "It's not like we don't know you two had sex before."

Mara laughed and followed Luke to his apartment.

* * *

.

Mara entered Luke's small apartment. It was the same apartment where Darik was conceived.

"Does it bring back memories?" Luke asked fondly.

"Yes," was all she could think of saying.

"You said when I was a free man we can continue our conversation we started on the Wild Karrde."

"I don't even remember what we were talking about." Mara confessed.

Luke gently pulled her into his embrace. "I think we were talking about this." He leaned down and kissed her softly, almost like he was asking for permission to continue.

Without even thinking, Mara found herself responding and running her fingers through Luke's hair, deepening the kiss.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Mara thoughts ran rampant. Was this going too fast? Was it the right move? She had been hurt before, even if she didn't care to admit it to anyone.

But gods, it felt so good! So right!

As if sensing her thoughts, or maybe because he had run out of air, Luke broke the kiss but did not let go. Instead, he held her even tighter and rested his forehead against hers.

"I love you so much, Mara! Please forgive me for not being there for you and Darik. I wish I could—"

"Shhh!" She interrupted, placing her fingers against his lips. "You didn't know."

The cool touch of her fingers against skin ignited more fires inside Luke and he captured her lips once again.

Running his hands down her body, Luke lifted Mara up into his arms and walked to the bedroom. He placed her on the bed. Both quickly divested themselves of their clothing and climbed in under the covers.

"I've been waiting for this for a long time," he murmured as he kissed a line down her neck.

"So have I," Mara said her voice deep with passion.

But now the waiting was over. Over the course of the next few hours they reconnected with each other picking up where they left off six years before. Only this time, they knew it was forever. No one would ever stand between them again.

.  
The next morning Luke woke up unhurriedly. It had been a long time since he slept soundly. He was amazed at the feeling of tranquility he experienced when Mara was in his arms. He turned on his side and was alarmed to see the other side of the bed empty. "Oh no, no." He looked around his bedroom in panic. "Mara!"

The tension melted from his body when he saw his beautiful companion walking out of the 'fresher wearing his bathrobe.

"Gods Mara, I thought you were gone."

She smiled as she dropped the robe to the ground revealing her nude form and crawled back into bed with him. "I was an idiot when I left after our first night together. I should have stayed." She nuzzled up to him. Luke smiled and put an arm around her.

"We should get married." Luke blurted out matter-of-factly.

"See, there goes that inability to censor your thoughts…just like your son." She shook her head. "Skywalker," Mara scoffed "we haven't even been on an official date yet. What woman would agree to marry a man she's never dated?"

"Okay," Luke said slowly. "Lets go see a holo and then get married on the way home."

She laughed. "You like to jump into marriage right away." She gave him and inquisitive look. "Did your sister ever forgive you for eloping?"

Luke groaned. "No, she was not happy at all."

She kissed him gently. "Luke, I know you're scared of losing me, but rushing into things is not the answer." She ran a hand down his chest and past his navel. "I think we should get to know each other better first."

"Your right," Luke moaned as Mara pressed her body against his, " we need to get to know each other much better."

.  
The three weeks went quickly. The entire Skywalker/Solo/Jade family spent much of the time bonding as a family. They went to museums, amusement parks; they even went hiking in the Manarai Mountains.

Because the Solo's apartment had multiple guest rooms, the kids stayed there and Luke and Mara would retreat to his small apartment for privacy at night.

Luke was currently in his apartment, resting from a long round of love making when he felt a spike of emotion coming from Mara. "Dammit Skywalker!" She screamed as she walked out of the bathroom in her underwear and waving something in her hand. "I'm pregnant again! How do you do it! I'm on repress meds. I was on repress meds when Darik was conceived also! Are your swimmers doing some Jedi Mind Trick on my reproductive system?"

Despite the shock of this new development he couldn't help but laugh. "I guess my swimmers have a mind of their own." He jumped out of bed and scooped her in his arms, kissing her passionately. "Marry me. We've been on plenty of dates. Marry me so we can be a family."

Mara looked at him in silent contemplation.

"Mara, I promise I won't pressure Darik into Jedi training and I will never nag you to train. If you ever decide to train just ask."

She flopped down into bed looking at the pregnancy indicator. "My life is getting way too complicated."

Luke slid into bed next to her. "Then uncomplicated your life by getting married and we'll raise the children together. We can be a family."

Mara had to smile. A family, she liked the sound of that. The boys should be raised together. And she was sure Karrde, no matter how much he loved Darik, would not appreciate another nine months of Mara's pregnancy crankiness aboard his ship.

Luke nibbled at her ear. "You know you want to spend the rest of your life with your sexy farmboy." He said referencing the nickname Mara had bestowed on him one night in the heat of the moment. He kissed the side of her neck. "Didn't you say I must have been a great moisture farmer because I could really get you..."

"Skywalker!" Mara screamed as his hands found a ticklish part of her body.

She stopped laughing and looked at him seriously. "I am not doing a big wedding." Mara said.

Luke grabbed her up tightly in his arms and kissed her again. "That's a yes, I assume?"

She nodded. "Yes."

He leaned down and kissed her tenderly. "I promise I will love you forever."

Mara nodded in agreement, "Forever."


	7. Chapter 7

_**I want to thank everybody who is reading and especially to those who took the time to review. This story was never intended to go past the first chapter, but my friends don't like it when I put my favorite farmboy through so much angst. I was highly encouraged to make things right. So this story was completely unplanned after the first chapter. If you liked how the story turned out I would love to hear from you.**_

_**This is the last chapter. If you don't understand the ending let me know. It makes reference to some things that are happening in the most recent profic books. I don't want to let out spoilers.**_

_**Thanks again for reading!**_

_**~JL~**_

* * *

**~Coruscant: three months later~**

Leia, we got a delivery." Han said as he signed for a package from a delivery droid. "It looks like a hologram projector from Luke. It says _'Honeymoon holos'"_

Leia gave her husband a skeptical look.

"I'm sure your brother is not going to send you anything racy," Han laughed. "Besides, they brought the boys with them."

They sat on the couch and turned on the Holo and the first thing Leia noticed was how happy Luke looked. She never saw him that cheerful when he was with Callista. The holos went into a slideshow mode. Leia and Han watched the family hiking and swimming on the beaches of Chandrilla and then sightseeing at Coronet City and Bela Vistal on Corellia.

Leia sat back and smiled. "They look so happy."

Han put his arm around his wife. "Luke and Mara deserve this happiness." He smiled at Leia. "We should plan a second honeymoon."

She gave him a sultry grin. "Why don't we start now?"

Han kissed her tenderly. "I heard our bedroom is a great place to visit this time of year."

He picked up Leia off the couch and carried her to the bedroom. Leia was laughing happily. "Gods I love a scoundrel!"

* * *

.

**~Coruscant: 2 Years Later~**

"Leia," Han called out. "We got more holos from your brother."

Han went over to the dining room table where Leia was sipping some caf. He put the projector on the table and turned it on.

"Look how much the baby has grown?" Leia gasped. Han gazed at the image of his niece Jessa. The little girl had bright red hair like her mother but had Luke's goofy smile. She was in a one-piece swimsuit with little floatation devices around her upper arms. It looked like she was on the beach. The next holo was of Mara in a bikini.

"Wow, Mara lost all that baby weight." Leia remarked.

Han looked closer. "That's some bathing suit."

Leia frowned. "Don't be looking at my brother's wife that way."

Han gave her an innocent look. "I was just admiring the swimsuit and thinking how much better it would look on you."

"Scoundrel." Leia said as a smile crept on her face.

The next holo was of 'Grandpa Talon' standing in baggy swim trunks with the Ben and Darik smiling brightly next to him.

"Oh no!" Han yelp as the next holo came up of Chin in a very tight micro swimsuit. He was on the beach with Darik and Ben and it looked like he was in the process of throwing a ball to the boys.

Leia covered her eyes with her hand. "That suit doesn't leave much to the imagination."

Han gave his wife a fake glare. "Don't be looking at another man's swimsuit like that."

Leia laughed her eyes still covered. "Just let me know when it is over."

"Okay, it's over." Han said. Leia looked back only to cover her eyes again.

"Force, is that my brother in a C-Ring square-cut swimsuit?"

Han let out a hoot. "Luke, she married you already, you don't need to tempt her with the merchandise." He grinned at Leia. "Do you think I would look good in that type of suit?"

She gave him a heated gaze. "You would look good in anything…or nothing."

Han's eyes went wide. "Oh really." He turned off the projector. "Why don't we go to the bedroom while the kids are still at school and I will model some outfits for you."

She stood up from the table and took her husband's hand. "Why don't you model the "nothing" first."

* * *

.

**~Coruscant: New Republic Fleet Academy, Graduating Ceremony 34ABY~**

One thousand graduating seniors stood at attention on the Monument Plaza parade field. Their uniforms were crisp; shoes polished to a high shine, the brass of their belts reflected the light from the noon sun.

To the family, friends and dignitaries across the field the men of women standing in formation appeared silent and attentive. But years of standing at attention for daily drills and hours-long Pass-In-Reviews resulted in young men and women who could whisper and joke non-stop without ever moving their lips. It was risky; they knew there were officers in the viewing stands with macrobinoculars ready to pounce on any cadet not following the rules, but it was worth it. It helped ease the mindnumbing boredom of drill and ceremonies.

"Stang Skywalker, is that your entire family in the VIP bleachers," a tall male cadet whispered through his teeth.

"No, Jak," Ben replied. "I'm not related to Admiral Ackbar."

"It's a trap!" Ben's friend Deek whispered from behind him. Ben bit down on his lip trying not to laugh.

"Frack who is the gorgeous red head, I'd like to show her my flight stick." Jak whispered.

"Gross," Ben whispered back. "That's my step-mom."

"I mean the hot babe next to your step-mom," Jak murmured without moving his facial muscles

"That's worse!" Ben hissed. "That's my fourteen year old sister."

"It's a jailbait trap," Deek laughed.

"Shut up Deek," Ben and Jak whispered in unison.

"Shavit, is your entire family Jedi spooks?" Ben's friend Doran muttered softly. "How did you turn out normal, Ben?"

Ben didn't like the word spook. It was a derogatory term at the Academy for a Jedi. Most non-force users found Jedi spooky to be around, hence the term. "My biological mom didn't have Force abilities."

"Lucky you," Jak said softly. "How about the brunette?"

Ben squinted against the glare of the noon sun. "That's my cousin Jaina. She's in her mid-twenties, and she's a Jedi."

"She's hot," Deek whispered. "She could spank me with her lightsaber any day."

Ben almost shook his head, but caught himself at the last second. "First of all, that analogy doesn't make any sense unless you have suicidal tendencies, and second she has three boyfriends fighting over her already."

"Bummer," Jak whispered. "All the hot gals are taken."

"Excuse me," whispered a female voice behind Ben. "Unless you forgot, I'm a woman."

Jak risked a smiled. "You don't count. You're one of the guys, Kirrina."

Ben let a soft sigh escape his lips as he wondered when this ceremony was going to be over. The commencement speaker had been talking for almost an hour and it didn't look like he would ever wind down.

_**Perseverance and determination should always be the driving force in your military career. I will never forget the Battle of Yavin. I was commanding officer of a frigate providing cover for our brave fighter pilots. In fact we have the distinguished pilot whose flying and fighting skills resulted in the destruction of the Death Star, Master Luke Skywalker.**_

Ben moaned inwardly. He was hoping his Dad wouldn't be singled out.

"Your Dad's hot," Kirrina whispered with a chuckle. "Who's the other blond Jedi?"

"That's my brother Darik."

"I'd like to spank his lightsaber." She chuckled through her teeth. "Now that innuendo makes sense Deek."

"I don't get it," Deek mumbled back confused.

To Ben's great relief his father simply stood and waved at the crowd then sat back down.

Finally the speaker got down to the whole point of this ceremony.

_**You have, and should rightly have, pride in graduation from the New Republic Fleet Academy. You inherit the tradition of duty and honor. You inherit as well the tradition of service to the sentient beings of not only Coruscant but of the entire Galaxy. You represent them all. They have given you a glorious opportunity. Make good. Keep the faith. You have trained to be great warriors, but always remember the greatest goal for any warrior is to achieve peace.**_

**Ladies and Gentlebeings. I would like to present the graduating class of 34 ABY.**

Finally the cadets could break ranks. A large cheer went through the formation and a thousand hats flew up into the air in celebration.

Ben took the opportunity to grab Kirrina and give her a kiss. He smiled and said, "You were never one of the guys to me."

Kirrina blushed and then waved goodbye as she moved towards her awaiting family. Ben watched her go, sadly wondering if their paths would ever cross again. This should be the happiest day of his life, but he found the moment bittersweet; for years all he wanted was to graduate and now that his schooling was over all he could think about was how he was going to miss his friends.

A large hand slapped down on his shoulder startling him. "Good work!" Ben turned to see his adopted grandfather Talon Karrde.

"Thanks, I think all the training I had on the Wild Karrde helped through the flight portion of the training."

Talon smiled. "I enjoyed having you and your brother aboard during voyages. You were the best workers I've ever had."

Ben looked around, "Where's Dad?"

Talon looked up to the crowd of dignitaries. "Everybody and their relatives need to shake hands with the Jedi Master." Talon craned his neck to get a better view. "Here he comes."

Luke, Mara, Darik, Han, Leia and their three kids finally made their way over to Ben. Luke gave his son a warm embrace, followed by Mara. Ben thought he saw tears in her eyes, but she quickly brushed them away.

"I'm so proud of you, Ben," Luke said, his voice choked with emotion.

"Thanks dad," Ben smiled. "I couldn't have done it without everybody's support."

Ben looked at his family with pride. With the exception of his Uncle Han and Grandpa Talon, all were Jedi Knights. His brother Darik was rumored to be especially strong in the Force.

When he was younger he felt a little like an outsider, but his Uncle Han always pointed out to Ben that the rebel fleet, not the Jedi, destroyed the second Death Star and even Luke wouldn't have made that fateful shot on the first Death Star if his non-force using brother-in-law didn't come to save the day.

Darik came up to Ben and put an arm around his shoulder giving him a brotherly hug. "Congratulations, do you want to go out and celebrate…or will your friends not want to hang around a Jedi spook?"

Ben shook his head. "How do you hear things like that? No wonder people get creeped out."

Darik grinned. "Remember when I told you that Mom has really good hearing…mine's better." Darik looked over his shoulder. "Where's that cute girl that was interested in me? Does she still want to see my lightsaber?"

"Leave Kirrina alone," Ben said as he started walking toward the main reception area, motioning for his family to follow. "We're going to miss the commissioning ceremony."

"It's a trap!" Darik joked.

Ben shoved him playfully. "Gods you are such a jerk."

As the two boys walked away they didn't notice a middle-aged woman in the crowd staring intensely at Ben with doleful gray eyes. The Jedi in the crowd didn't notice her either nor could they sense her through the Force.

If they could pick up her thoughts they would have felt soul crushing misery and loneliness intermixed with shame, disgrace and suicidal despair. She had lost everything: Her husband, her son, her self-respect. She knew she had a sick soul that caused her to hurt all those around her, but she wasn't always like that.

It was the lack of the Force that was poisoning her. She needed to find it. She heard rumors that an old Force spirit could be found in the Maw. That's where she needed to go. If she could get the Force back maybe she could get her son and husband back one day.

Grief stricken and overwhelmed with sadness she turned and left on her journey to find the Force.

**~The End~**

* * *

Author's Note: If you haven't been reading the recent profic novels the ending might not make sense. If you are confused let me know.


End file.
